Talc: Toxic Chemical and Carcinogen found in common Household Powders

According to the US National Cancer Institute, 22,000 new cases of ovariancancer were
diagnosed in 2010 of which 14,000 died. A research was carried out to determine
what increases a woman’s chances of developing ovariancancer. The
following are the result of what increases a woman’s risk of ovariancancer.

Talc is a
chemical found in a common household
product known as Powder. Talc is
a major component of all kinds of powder known as talcum powder. Talcum
powder is made from talc, a mineral
made up of chemicals such as magnesium, silicon and oxygen. The household and
social function of talc is to absorb
moisture and reduce friction, keeping the skin dry and preventing rashes caused
by heat. Some of the household products
where talc or talcum powder is found include baby powders, adult and facial
powder.

As a component in household
products, there has been concern about the possible link between this
supposed toxic chemical and ovariancancer. It is important to distinguish between talc that contains asbestos and talc that is asbestos-free. Talc
that contains asbestos has been long known to be carcinogenic and can cause lung cancer. This has prompted companies to remove talc that contains asbestos from powder products. Evidence of
asbestos-free talc in modern day household product is clear.

However, recent research studies have confirmed that talc itself increases the risk of
developing ovariancancer in women. This latest study,
carried out by a certain Daniel Cramer MD of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), shows that this
carcinogenic toxicmaterial increases
the risk of ovariancancer by 30%. It was also discovered
that pre-menopausal women who frequently use talc may have a threefold increase in their risk of invasive serous
cancer of the ovary.

So how does talc
becomes a carcinogen in order to
cause ovariancancer? Although it is not totally clear how this toxicmaterial causes ovariancancer but research work offers some
explanation.

2. Also, women who use this alleged carcinogen called talc have been shown to have low level of the antibody, Anti MUC 1,
than those who don’t use. Therefore, it is possible that talc reduces the level of this antibody. It is believed that this
antibody is linked with the prevention of cancer
formation in body cells.

Talc: Toxic Chemical and Carcinogen found in common Household Powders
Reviewed by Emmanuel Odiachi
on
2:16 AM
Rating: 5